Hi, hello, how are you?! It's Friday-thank the LAWD! We can all agree on that right? But what's a fabulous Friday without a fresh lookin' face?! When I found a skincare line that worked well for me, and wasn't outrageously priced, I was hooked. No more guessing, or picking a random brand at the store and wasting $50 on a serum. This is not a sponsored post, simply a line-up of what I use in my daily regimen because you asked!

Many of you read the first post in this series: 5 ways to get rid of acne. Things you can start to do right NOW if you are ready to make a change. Now for products-Your main concern should be ingredients-surprise!! If you're acne prone, there are some great alternatives to our friends Sal-acid and Benzyl Peroxide. Cue glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid and Willowbark!

You can find many of these ingredients in both Synthetic, Botanical, and Natural products these days, which are becoming more competative each day. The following products are not considered natural-that's another topic of conversation. If you're not into synthetic ingredients, leave a comment below to share your favorite organic or natural ingredients/brands! Don't think you have to pay an arm and a leg for everything, look for those ingredients and you'll be alright girl!

I want to know, how often do you purchase your skincare items? Do you pay a premium for items that you only buy once or twice a year? Or are you a 'I go to Sephora and try a new line every several months' girl. Leave a comment below :)

Pro-Tip! Find a Med-Spa near you to help you talk through a skin-care regimine. They are happy to do consultations with you to find the best fit for you. I buy most of my products at my local spa in North Dallas-Oasis Med-Spa and Laser Center. Mention this post to receive 10% off a service!

My typical routine looks like this:

Morning: Cleanse and moisturize

Night: Cleanse, Glycolic Gel, VitaminC, Eyecream, (sometimes retinol) and Moisturizer

Cleansers

For morning and/or night

Cvara Botanicals Oxygen Revitalizing Cleanser with ginseng, orchid and glycoproteins, as well as Japanese green tea promoting oxygen revitalization and skin-soothing.

Cvara Botanicals Gental Glycolic Exfoliant Cleanser - Glycolic Acid is AMAZING! It encourages skin-cell turnover and also acts as a moisturizer without making you feel oily. Deep and gentle cleanser which has Alpha & Beta Hydroxy Acids, Lactic, and Salicylic (Sugar cane, corn starch and beet sugar, and willow bark extract) They loosen your dead skin to accelerate skin renewal and give you a lovely glow. The jojoba beads exfoliate your skin preventing clogged pores and it smells amazing, so citrusy! This is the best at taking off your makeup at night or walking yourself up in the morning.

Serums

Cvara Botanicals Hydrate and Renew: Glycolic renewing gel serum- Water based formula moisturizes without oiliness. It prevents bacteria on the surface and Glycolid Acid is a natural exfoliating ingredient-so your skin turns over while you sleep! I LOVE this product-can’t live without it.

Cvara Botanicals Vitamin C & Hyaluronic Filler- Vitamin C helps protect your face from every-day surface wear and tear. Paired with a high percentage of hyaluronic acid, it boots hydration to address damaged, irritated and dehydrated skin. Anyone can benefit from this (even rosacea skin-types). Get this in your life =) talk to your skin-care specialist about how to incorporate it into your routine.

Cvara Botanicals Sheer Berry Antioxidant Serum: used in the mornings with Cvara Botanicals Sun protection SPF 30 (zinc, Vitamin C, antioxidant sunscreen)- I LOVE both of these products! They don’t make my face breakout or feel oily and they smell amazing. I swear by these.

Superstar items!

Oasis Med Spa Rx-Retinol-make sure you talk to your doctor or aesthetician about Retinol! I only use .025% ! very minimal. And you MUST use SPF 30 or higher in conjunction. Retinol is the best product I’ve ever invested in. a bottle for $69 has lasted me a year (you don’t need it that often and a tiny bit goes a long way). Retinol is simply the pure form of Vitamin A-so you can use Vitamin A instead. Retinol helps promote a firmer, healthier-looking skin, and naturally turns around concerns like dullness and rough texture. With retinol, you’ll see renewed, younger-looking radiance, a remarkably smoother appearance, and a noticeable feeling of firmness. The benefits are endless.

Mary Kay-Clearproof Spot Treatment with salicylic acid- this is the only sal-acid I use these days, aside from the occasional Clearproof Blemish Control Toner which I also love once and a while. This gets rid of blemishes in a FLASH!

Cvara Botanicals-Retinol A Night Repair: You only need to use one retinol product in your routine and use it sparingly. This is a less concentrated serum than the one above. Do not use retinol alongside retinA or acutane or other antibiotics.

Moisturizers

Moisturizer- Milk by Maskcara! I LOVE this moisturizer. It seriously helps with keeping my skin hydrated without feeling like I have Vaseline all over my face. I have always hated moisturizers, but after regular facials, my PH really changed and I could finally use a more substantial moisturizer. But even if you have acne, this does wonders in erasing dark spots and scars! You need to use a moisturizer...your skin needs it! You can purchase it from my lovely skin-glowing bestie- Kaytie May, link above =)

Cvara Botanicals Sun protection SPF 30 (zinc, Vitamin C, antioxidant sunscreen –Moisturizer- the only spf product I tried and did NOT break me out! Although with the help of all of my facials, skin pen, and chemical peels I truly believe the PH of my skin has changed, allowing me to wear a larger variety of moisturizers and drug store foundations/makeup.

Eye Cream

Mary Kay- Timewise Repair Firming Eye Cream- I can’t say enough about this product. You need to use an eye cream before you’re 30…just start now and save yourself the Botox expense later.

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 is a peptide that is used to help maintain healthy skin. It is the building block for proteins such as collagen.
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide is a peptide that is used to help maintain healthy skin. It is the building block for proteins such as collagen.
Aloe Leaf Extract is a moisturizer which helps condition and smooth the skin by adding, attracting or retaining moisture. It is also a soothing agent.

Timewise Repair Deep Wrinkle Filler- This formula immediately fills in deep wrinkles and helps improve their appearance over time. It seriously works. Worth every penny.

Deep wrinkles are targeted by retinol, helping to minimize their appearance over time.

Retinol is an effective age-fighting ingredient that is highly recommended by leading dermatologists and skin care experts and has been proven effective in hundreds of studies.
The retinol in TimeWise Repair® Volu-Fill® Deep Wrinkle Filler is encapsulated in microspheres that help protect the retinol’s effectiveness until applied directly to wrinkles.
The encapsulation also provides a more gradual release that can be gentler to sensitive skin.
The precision applicator tip allows the retinol formula to target wrinkles, helping to minimize their appearance over time.

Encapsulated hyaluronic acid also acts as a moisture magnet, attracting skin moisture to help deep wrinkles look visibly plumped.

That's it my beauties, I hope you have learned a little about Ingredients today!

Please leave comments below on what type of ingredients you look for in your products! What do you love, hate? I want to hear it all!

My Favorite Skincare Products! Skincare Series: Part 2