5 Things That Have Transformed My Skin

I have always been a firm believer that having good skin is an essential base for anything that you want to put on top. Because of this I have always recommended to find a skincare routine that works for you and to stick to it no matter what. However, over the years, I have found a couple key products, tools, and tricks that have actually made me notice a positive change in my skin.

1. Foreo

I think that its only fitting for me to put this as my number one skin changing tool because within a week of me using it, I noticed that my skin was clearer and healthier looking. I have not used my hands to wash my face for a good amount of time now because your hands have so many germs and they also simply cannot cleanse your skin as deeply as a brush or other kind of tool can. So because of this I started using konjac sponges and I was really enjoying them, until I decided to splurge on a Foreo. I had heard a lot of people hyping up the Foreo line and I was always a little reluctant to try them because I wasn't sure if the price tag was worth it. However, after using it morning and night with my face wash for a week, I noticed that I had less breakouts and the only step that I changed in my routine was adding the Foreo.

What makes the Foreo really amazing is that the silicon bristles are not spiked so their job is not to exfoliate and irritate your skin, but rather to just get really deep into your pores and clean everything out. The Foreo not only was able to clean my skin better than a konjac sponge, but the silicon is also more sanitary so it cannot house all kinds of germs like the sponge could.

I use this morning and night with my cleanser and sometimes even with my exfoliator when I really just want to get all the gunk and dead skin off of my face. It also super easy to maintain because it stands upright by itself so you don't worry about the bristles getting dirty. It runs on batteries, but I have had my Foreo since May and I still have not had to change the batteries. So if you are someone that is suffering from breakouts or pigmentation on your skin, I would really recommend investing in a Foreo because it is good for all skin types and it has been the #1 thing that has transformed my skin.

2. Face Massager/ Roller

I'm sure if you watch beauty routines on Instagram or YouTube, you might have seen one or two of these face massagers floating around and before I tried them, I was convinced that they are a total gimmick. However, after using one for a few months, I actually see a difference in the texture of my skin. When you use a face roller on top of a moisturizer or serum, it helps the product soak into your skin better which then, in turn, also helps the product's properties do more for your skin. Overall, I found that my skin is smoother and makeup sits on it nicer whenever I use it. I also love them because they help de-puff my skin and under eyes in the morning when the stone is cold.

I currently have two different face rollers. My first one is made from jade and while it is believed to have amazing healing and protective properties, it also has been proven that jade rolling can help boost blood circulation and reduce swelling. It might be a little early for me to start thinking about anti aging but another benefit of jade rolling is that the jade is supposed to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as tighten up your skin by boosting the production of collagen.

My other face roller is made of rose quartz. A lot of the benefits of just massaging your skin are the same no matter the stone on the roller, but some of the benefits of the rose quartz stone are that it is supposed to improve skin tone and the elasticity of the skin. It is also great for reducing redness and it helps promote lymphatic drainage.

While I do rotate between both of my rollers, I really do not think that there is a major difference between the two. While the stones ideally do different things, I recommend only getting one. If you have more red and acne prone skin, I would recommend the jade roller, but if you are looking to just even skin tone and achieve glowing skin, I would go for the rose quartz roller.

3. Toner

There is a common myth that toner is a useless step in your skincare routine because it doesn't do anything. However, I beg to differ. Toner serves a couple of useful purposes.

The first is that since toner is a liquid, so its molecules are smaller than those of your traditional cleanser. Because of this, it can get deeper into your pores to really clean them out. I personally am someone that takes off my makeup with micellar water first and then I go in with a cleanser and my foreo. After I double cleanse my face, I always go in with a liquid toner on a cotton pad and I am always shocked to find how much makeup and dirt was still left on my face. Secondly, face cleansers usually have a fairly high pH in order to break down the oils and dirt on your face. Therefore, toners are really useful in balancing your skin's pH since they are usually more acidic.

I always found that whenever my skin needs a pick me up of any kind, a toner of will always do the trick. There are so many different kinds of toners that are made for all sorts of skin concerns and skin types. For example, if you have dry skin and are looking for a little more moisture, there are moisturizing toners with humectant properties to draw the water from the air and preserve the water in your skin. One of my favorites for that is the Caudile Vino Perfect Essense because of how lightweight and non greasy it is. If you have acne prone, there are lots of toners with acne fighting ingredients. I love the Glossier The Solution because it is made with AHAs, BHAs, and salicylic acid. I unfortunately just finished up my bottle and am trying to use up other toners that I have in my collection, but as soon as I work through a couple bottles, I will be racing to repurchase it. The one I am currently using the Aesop In Two Minds Facial Toner so if you are looking for something to fight acne and even out your skin tone and has more natural ingredients this one is great. It is made with witch hazel and niacinamide which are really great for calming your skin and killing bacteria.

4. A Face Mask Routine

Face masks have always been fairly popular in the beauty community and with the growing rage and improving technology of Asian beauty brands, more and more people have made face masks a crucial part of their skincare routine.

There was a period of time when I believed that face masks would be the cure all for any of my skin's problems. I would do a face mask every single night and for a short period of time, my skin loved all the attention it was receiving with the high concentration of serums and antioxidants that are found in face masks. However, pretty soon, I realized that my skin began acting out with dry patches and breakouts and I couldn't figure out why. It was then that I learned that forcing my skin to accept such high concentrations was incredibly overwhelming. Because of this, I have made a face mask routine for myself. I do a facemarks twice a week on Sunday and on Wednesday night to address whatever my skin needs. With this being said, everyone's skin is different so you may find that doing a face mask two times a week is not enough and you can totally opt to do it more. At the end of the day it all about finding a balance of what works for you.

5. Looking at Skincare Ingredients

This might sound really tedious and pointless since there are a gazillion variations of ingredients and a lot of them are hard to pronounce and remember, but a lot of times when a skincare product doesn't work out for you, it can tend to be because a few ingredients that your skin doesn't like. This tip does require a longer process because it takes some time to test out products and find the similarities between what works and what doesn't.

If you find that a product isn't working for you, there can be a few reasons why. One of the possibilities is that it could be an allergy. If you are allergic to a product, your skin can tend to become patchy or irritated. If you notice that you are getting random dry patches or red patches, I would look at the ingredients list because a lot of times, allergies come from the natural ingredients in products.

On the other hand, if you notice that you are getting breakouts, whether it be blackheads or whiteheads, that could be because an ingredient is blocking your pore. The ingredients that block your pores tend to be synthetic. A lot of times, silicon based products can tend to clog your pores because of how heavy they are. But if you are finding that you cannot find a solid skincare routine, it could be due to a couple of pesky ingredients.

This process also works on the other hand where if you notice that a certain product has really improved your skin, that can also be attributed to a certain ingredient and that can make it easier when you are shopping for makeup or skincare in the future.