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.

I use different products from time to time, but these are the things I'm currently using. I am always looking for better and more effective products, and I will keep you posted on those as I find them. To see when I use all my products and in what order go to my post: My Skincare Routine.

In the morning as part of my treament and moisturizing I use a skin brightening lotion. It is a very light lotion that has glycolic and fruit acids to help slough off those dead skin cells that leave the complexion dull. Although it says it is an anti-acne and skin brightening treatment, I use it for its brightening effects. It is very light and soaks right in. I suppose if you had very young skin you might not need a moisturizer with this but I use it in conjunction with my moisturizer. You can purchase it at www.brenditasbodyworks.com and it is called Glowshine Anti-Acne, Skin Brightening Lotion. Her products are all organic and very nice. They are also very reasonably priced.

The moisturizer that I use in the morning is from a company called Global Healing. Their website is  www.ghchealth.com the name of the cream is called Parfait Visage. When you go to the website click on organic skin care on the left-hand side of the opening page and this will take you to all of their organic skin care products. Just scroll down until you see Parfait Visage. This is an all natural product. It has a Manuka Honey and frankincense which are both very good for the skin.

No matter what your skin type is you need to wear a sunscreen everyday (on you face). I have tried a lot of different sunscreens in the organic and natural arena. This is one product where I only want to use something natural. There are basically two ways to block the damaging rays from the sun and that is with a physical or chemical barrier. I do not like sunscreens that use chemical barriers, because these chemicals have been shown to be hormone disrupters and mimic estrogen in the body and some are believed to be possible carcinogens. I prefer to use a sunscreen that uses zinc oxide or titanium dioxide or a combination of both. These provide a physical barrier to the sun and are both very safe.

I think I finally found a sunscreen that fits my criteria (no chemicals and light enough to wear over my regular moisturizer). It is called Burnout Clean and Clear Zinc Oxide Sunblock SPF 32 and you can order it from  www.brenditasbodyworks.com Go to the homepage and click “all products” in the upper left-hand corner and you'll find it in her complete list of products. She also carries a sunscreen for children, which I would highly recommend if you have kids. Kids immune systems are more fragile and they are more susceptible to the damaging effects of toxic chemicals so you should try to keep their exposure to toxic chemicals as low as possible.

Another point worth mentioning is the subject of nanoparticles. For a size comparision, a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A nano particle is basically a very very small particle of a particular element. The problem with nanoparticles is that they are so small that they can get through most of the barriers that we have in our system and be absorbed directly into cells and once they are in there is no way of getting them out. Nanoparticles have made their way into the sunscreen industry. At this point I would stay away from anything with nanoparticles. Even though zinc oxide is considered safe, I would not use any product that had zinc oxide nanoparticles in it. When you use zinc oxide it provides a physical barrier that protects you from the sun and is not absorbed into your skin or body and is harmless. But nanoparticles of zinc oxide can be absorbed directly into your body and into your bloodstream and like any nanoparticle be absorbed directly into your cells. There is a huge concern of nanoparticles safety at this point, and therefore I would recommend not using anything at all, even things that are not applied to your body, that use nanotechnology.

The moisturizer that I am currently using at night is from Dr. Mercola. You can find it at  www.mercolahealthyskin.com I am actually using his Organic Cupuacu Day Moisturizer as my night cream. I really like it and I love the smell (it has a light citrusy smell, which I find very pleasing). I just found it to be a bit too heavy for my day moisturizer. If you have dry skin you could certainly use it as your day moisturizer. This is 100% organic product and is very, very nice. This is the first skincare product that I have used from him and I am very impressed. His products are also very reasonably priced for the quality you are receiving.

My husband’s skin is more on the oily side and right now I have him on a daytime moisturizer from a company called Gunilla of Sweden. It is called Lerosatt Moisture Matte. This company makes a line of acne products that are pretty natural. You can order it off of  www.Amazon.com Just type in Gunilla of Sweden in the search bar and it will pull up their products.

The Parfait Visage (as mentioned above) would work as a night cream if your skin is more on the normal to oily side.