You know your skincare regimen is good when strangers and friends start complementing you on your makeup, but you haven’t change anything in your makeup routine. Lately I’ve been getting a ton of compliments on my makeup accompanied by the question “What foundation do you use?” I’ve been using this foundation for a year now and while it’s an amazing foundation, I can’t help but think it’s my skin that’s improved.
Only in my mid 20’s have I started to focus on skincare – I do wish I had paid more attention to it in my younger years, but hey – better late than never! I’ve talked about my struggles with adult acne, so needless to say I’ve tried a never-ending list of products in the past year to help combat that and of course – try to slow down the inevitable aging process. (If you’ve had acne, you know what I mean when I say endless products). I’ve tried all sorts of products, from an acne scar treatment to ance prevention creams, there are just so many products available!
I’ve found that my skin is sensitive and responds poorly to skincare products that use harsh chemicals and fragrances (not to mention – why would you want that on your face?) Suffice it to say, when I was given the opportunity to try Luzern, I was a little hesitant – I finally had my acne under control and did not want to interfere with that. A little research on their website told me that they rely on plant extracts – nothing chemical, toxic or irritating. I also love this tidbit on how “anti-aging” products (well, the ones advertised that way) could actually be aging your skin. Isn’t that kind of terrifying?
To my delight I didn’t break out once, and I also think my skin has never looked better – more supple, less fine lines, and consistently hydrated. I honestly did not want to like the products because of how expensive they are, but I’ll explain why I think it’s worth it. If you’re anything like me, you spend $30-40 on your foundation, $20 on blush, $50 on eyeshadow… the list goes on. In my eyes, if you’re going to spend that much on covering your skin (a very temporary fix), why wouldn’t you spend more than that on the permanent stuff – taking care of what’s under the makeup? Kind of puts it in perspective, eh?
While I do love all the products and have been using all three, I would say by far my favorite is the Rehydrate Serum. I use it every day before I put on my makeup. It is so lightweight, smooth, and fast drying and I don’t notice it interfering with my makeup at all – if anything it seems to act like an extra primer as my makeup seems to wear longer.
Because I did have acne, I still use topical treatments that can be very drying at times. I find that if I apply a bit of the Rehydrate Oil, my dryness is gone almost instantly.
On a daily basis I put a lot of products on my face, so I get really hesitant to add moisturizer even though I know its importance. I never want to look “greasy”. I love the Micro-Gel because while it is considered a moisturizer, it’s in a gel form rather than a lotion, so I don’t find that it sits on top of my skin and gives me that greasy look.
Incorporating all of these products have made a huge difference to my skin – it’s like they are the products I always needed and never knew it.
In addition to adding these to my everyday routine, I had the amazing opportunity to get my very first facial. I visited Benesserre Skin Care in Santa Monica and saw Nicholle, who is wonderful. If you are ever in Santa Monica, do yourself a favor and pay her a visit. Your skin will thank you. Nicholle took the time to educate me on everything – all the products she used, why she used them, what ingredients to look for, and how I can incorporate the same into my routine. Because I am using a chemical exfoliant with my acne treatment (I use Epiduo nightly), Nicholle did a very gentle exfoliating treatment which was perfect as I’ve had a few of the stubborn pimples come to the surface to get out, but nothing was overly irritated. She also talked to me about the Renee Rouleau skincare line which is also great for blemishes and acne. I find that some of my products can be a little irritating, especially when my skin is dry, but she said skin correcting serum might ease that irritation but I haven’t used it yet so I’ll get back to you on that one!
One of the many valuable pieces of information I learned from Nicholle was regarding sunscreen – she told me the majority of our fine lines and wrinkles aren’t from long days in the sun like when you’re at the beach – they are actually from the tiny bit of sun exposure we get throughout the day without realizing it! (For example walking to your car, driving, walking to lunch, etc. – I’m starting to see these fine lines more and more each year so I’ll do anything to prevent more.) She recommends a physical SPF with zinc. I didn’t know this, but chemical SPFs (the kind you are likely buying from the drugstore) only last 2 hours – even the face ones. So if you put a chemical sunscreen on your face in the morning, it’s likely not going to work by the time you leave your house or get to work. A physical sunscreen will last you all day until you wash it off with water. Let’s just say I immediately added the physical sunscreen to my daily routine after learning this.
I’m excited about this new skincare journey of mine and it makes me optimistic of my future skin – an amazing feeling to have. If you guys have question on any of the products, my acne struggles, or anything else please feel free to comment below and I’ll get back to you! Also, if you have a must-have skincare product or a valuable tip, leave that below too! I love to hear what works for you guys as well.
This post was sponsored on behalf of Luzern via One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.
OMG! OMG! OMG! I was so excited by the time I was done reading this post! I love Luzern products also, I've used their face wash in the past and I think it did some really great things for my skin. But, when you mentioned Nicholle, I was just so ecstatic because I was crossing my fingers hoping and hoping that it was the same Nicholle I had seen previously at a different spa in WeHo that had closed and never re-opened. The unusual spelling had me really really hoping it was the same Nicholle. AND IT IS! Isn't she just amazing?!?! She is so nice, thoughtful, and creates such a lovely relaxing atmosphere. Thank you thank you!
That's amazing and makes me so happy!! She is so great, and yes it was so peaceful and relaxing! I don't have the face wash yet but I definitely want to try it when I run out of my current wash, since the other products are so good! Thanks for sharing! 🙂