Morning:

*Cleanse (see post- Clean Slate; A Post On Cleansing Your Face)

Tone (see post- Tone and Tighten; Your Pores That Is!)

Vitamin C serum-Face only (see post-What Are Serums and Why Do I Need One?)

Glycolic Acid Gel on eye, neck and decollete (see post- Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Eye cream (see post Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Skin Brightening lotion- face,neck and decollete. This may be enough hydration for you. If so, just go to sunscreen. (see post -Hydrate and Protect Your face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Moisturize- face, neck and decollete (see post -Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Sunscreen on neck and decollete (see post-Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Make-up Primer (see post -How To Get That Candlelight Glow)

Make-up (see post-How To Get That Candlelight Glow)

Night:

Cleanse (see post -Clean Slate; A Post On Cleansing Your Face) for my recommended P.M. cleanser) and dry face with Claroderm washcloth, then wet and remove any excess cleanser. (See post -Exfoliate For That Youthful Glow for information on the washcloths)

Tone (see post -Tone and Tighten; Your Pores That Is!)

Microneedling-(see post on Skincare; Beyond Creams and Serums)

Firming Serum-face, neck and decollete (see post-What Are Serums and Why Do I Need One?)

Eye Cream-(see post -Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Moisturize-face only (see post - Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging) for my recommended P.M. cream)

Glycolic acid cream-face only (see post-Hydrate and Protect To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Dry Oil on neck and decollete (see post-Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Once a week, at night, I exfoliate. To see my recommended products for this go to my post -Exfolaite For That Youthful Glow. The night I do this, I leave a few products off my routine. I also do not "micro-needle" on the night I exfoliate.Here is the modified P.M. routine for that night:

Cleanse

Exfoliate

Tone

Firming Serum-face, neck and decollete

Eye Cream

Moisturize

Dry Oil on neck and decollete

I use my LED light therapy (see post on Skincare; Beyond Creams and Serums) either in the morning or evening depending on when I have time. I use it after I cleanse and tone and then follow my routine.

I use my NuSkin Galvanic Spa System 2 days a week and skip the LED light therapy these 2 days so it is not really any added time (see post on Galvanic Spa)

*I use the Clarisonic with my cleanser. See my post on Skin care; Beyond Creams and Serums for more data on the Clarisonic. You can use it twice a day. I usually use mine once a day, sometimes in the morning and sometimes at night.

The main reason to use a serum is to add nutrients under the skin which moisturizers are not capable of. There are a lot of different serums out there, and depending on your specific skin needs that will dictate what type of serum you will use. I am in my late 40s and need more firming and hydration. If you are younger and have oily skin, you might choose one that has salicylic acid to help prevent breakouts. Or if you suffer from things such as rosacea or have sensitive skin, you might choose a calming serum.

A serum is typically applied after your toner and before your moisturizer. One of the serums that I use was formulated by Amy Lidman, who is my aesthetician when I am in Florida. She has been in the skincare industry for over 20 years and is very knowledgeable. She stays on the cutting edge of developments in the skin care industry. She is in the process of developing an entire all natural skin care line. You can’t get her products in any stores or salons at this moment. However, you can call and order directly from her. Her number is 727-698-5555. Just tell her that you were referred by June. The serum is simply called Firming Serum. Her products are very reasonably priced and she uses fresh organic and natural ingredients. If you live in the Clearwater, Tampa area you can book an appointment with Amy or go by and pick up your products instead of having them shipped.

I also use a Vitamin C serum since I am over 40. Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen so basically it helps to reduce wrinkles and improve the texture of skin. All woman over the age of 40 need to use a Vitamin C serum. The problem is that Vitamin C is very unstable and breaks down easily unless it is in a powdered form. I found a stable from of Vitamin C from a company out of Switzerland. It is called Complex 31. It is pretty natural. It is not really the consistency of a serum which are normally sort of watery but it is more like a cross between a powder and a liquid and it comes in a tube. It can be ordered through www.complex31.com

Mychelle dermaceuticals also has some very good serums. If you have oily or acne prone skin they have a serum called Clear Skin that has salicylic acid (this is a beta hydroxy acid that is best for skin with whiteheads and blackheads. Beta-hydroxy acids are lipid soluble and penetrate the skin more). They have another serum called Capillary Calming if you suffer from Rosacea. Mychelle’s products are all natural with no funky stuff in them. To see my complete skincare routine and how I use the products and in what order; go to my post: My Skincare Routine.

LED Light Therapy

LED light has a rejuvenating effect on the skin. It can help to reduce lines and wrinkles by improving circulation and stimulating collagen. It also can offer pain relief so you can apply it to other areas of the body. A lot of the research on this came from NASA. Apparently weightlessness for extended time periods causes problems like slow wound healing. They found that by applying LED light therapy to these areas that it increased the circulation and stimulated the cells into healing faster. The same thing is true for infrared heat so this light combines both. If you get LED light therapy in a salon as an “add-on” to your facial by the time you have a couple of facials you will have paid for one of these. From my understanding, just getting a “treatment” once a month when you have a facial is not really that beneficial since it needs to be used consistently. At first, you are supposed to use it 9 minutes two times a day for the first 30 days and then once a day after that. Unlike some other smaller lights where you have to move it over your face the entire time, this light covers the whole face. Read more about this technology on my site and you can also order the light directly off my site. It is made by a good company and they stand behind their product.

Clarisonic

This is an ultrasonic facial brush. Many of you are already using ultrasonic tooth brushes and this works on the same principle. It will clean your skin 10 times better than using a washcloth or just your facial cleanser. The brush does not rotate like most other handheld facial cleaners. It uses ultrasound (high speed sound waves) that penetrate the skin and get it really clean. This is the brand that I recommend (Clairsonic). I use the brushhead made for sensitive skin. They have one now that has attachments for the body.

I ordered mine from www.qvc.com  Just go to the main page and type in Clarisonic and they will have several different options. The actual Clairsonic is exactly the same in all the kits. Different kits have different attachments and some come with products. I did not use any of the products because I like something more natural. I would just order the basic Clairsonic with the facial brushes. If you think that you might like to use it on other parts of your body then order the one with more brushes, like I said the actual Clarisonic is the same in all the kits.

I like ordering from QVC because they never share my information with anyone and their customer service cannot be beat. If you are not happy with anything you order then you can return it for a full refund (no restocking fees or anything like that) no questions asked. You can return half empty bottles of skin care products, make-up, etc. for a full refund. If you order clothes and wear them and if you do not like them you can return them even without the tags and even if you have washed them so they are very customer service oriented. You have to sign up and get a membership number but you are not charged for that and you do not have to place any kind of minimum order. It is not like any kind of club or anything like that.

You can also order it from www.sephora.com

Microneedling-Ouch! (well just a little)

This is a little roller with a handle that has microneedles sticking out all over. You roll it across your face and it punctures the skin on a microscopic level. Why in the world would you want to do that? Actually, this is a skin rejuvenating treatment that is FDA approved because it actually works to stimulate collagen (collagen is abundant in younger skin).  In essence, by puncturing the skin this sets up a healing process whereby new skin cells grow which results in the formation of collagen fibers and improved blood supply. This improves the thickness of the skin which in turn improves the skin texture and reduces wrinkles. It also helps with hyperpigmentation and depending on the size of the needles (they come in different sizes) it can be used to treat stretch marks, cellulite and scars on any part of the body. These little punctures also create portals for your skin care products to enter and work better.

As far as the ouch factor, well it is a little ouch but not that bad. You are doing it very lightly (not enough to draw blood) and you will look a little pink when you are done. The size that is recommended for the face is 0.5 mm for anti-aging and light acne scarring. 1.0mm for light stretch marks and 1.5mm for deep stretch marks and very deep scarring. I use mine about 5 times a week. You need to replace it about every 6 weeks or so depending on how many times a week you use it. You just pour some alcohol on it after each use so it is easy to care for. My friend Amy (an aesthetician in Clearwater, Florida) carries them. She also has a great firming serum and you can place an order by calling 727-698-5555.

Galvanic Spa System

See my post on this exciting skin care device that helps to tone, hydrate and enhance the absorption of nutrients! I used to get these treatments regularly at a salon but now I can do it myself at home and save thousands. If you have ever priced these treatments they average about a $100 per treatment. This is a must have for great skin.