It seems like I am always searching for the perfect skincare to keep me from looking my age. Don’t we all? I know in my head I’m 40, but I don’t really feel like I’m 40 and I certainly want to slow down the aging process on my face. I know that’s not entirely possible, so my skincare routine seems to be always evolving to fit my needs. Sometimes my face is really dry, other times it’s not. To be honest I’ve neglected taking better care of my facial skin because it’s often time consuming. Normally I just remove my makeup and that’s that, unless I’m having a dry skin crisis and then I slap on some moisturizer (a cheap kind) or even (gasp!) straight-up lotion.
This all changed almost a couple of months ago when I made an online purchase from Ulta. I love Ulta. I’m not really a fussy person when it comes to makeup and skincare, so walking into an Ulta almost mentally paralyzes me because ALL THE STUFF. However, when you make a purchase online, they always throw in some great samples of products you might not normally choose for yourself, and this is where they got me. They sent me a sample of AHAVA Dead Sea Osmoter Concentrate and this stuff has magically diminished the appearance of lines and wrinkles on my skin. Well! I was totally sold, so I ordered the larger size. They just happened to have a deal where if you spent a certain amount you could also get a travel size of a few more AHAVA products, such as the Purifying Mud Mask and the Age Control Even Tone Sleeping Cream for a steal, so I did that and loved those products as well.
For basic makeup removal, I use Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser. It does the job and leaves my skin feeling hydrated, but not greasy. Once a week (usually on a Sunday evening) I use Biore Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips and follow up with the AHAVA Facial Mud Exfoliator. The AHAVA products are quite frankly more than I would normally spend on skincare, but they work just that well for me, so I’m trying to look at it as an investment rather than an expense. Each use doesn’t really require that much product, so a little goes a long way.
I use all of these products at night. I know I need to use a moisturizer with SPF during the day, but it makes my makeup and face look very greasy during the heat and humidity of the summer, so unless I’m going makeup-free, I usually skip it. Ultimately, I know there is no product on the market, save for plastic surgery, that will make my skin look as fresh as it did when I was younger, but these products work for me and I feel like they are definitely worth the time and money.