I’ve had a few life advice posts back to back and while I love writing about topics that help women feel their best, I also love to share tips and hacks that help us look our best too. I am writing about my skincare routine again because 1. there’s nothing better than feeling good in your own skin and 2. my routine is always evolving.

If you have been following along on the blog you know that not only do I have the anti-aging skin care issue that most women my age are tackling, but I’m also still dealing with slightly hormonal skin and occasional breakouts too. This is certainly not what I thought I would be experiencing in my forties. There are several things I thought I would be doing: loving my 9-5, brunching, traveling, and hosting intimate thanksgiving dinners for family and friends are all things that come to mind when I imagined what my forties might look like. But waking up to breakouts like I did in my teens and tweens was definitely not one of them.

I am however a very firm believer that when someone has a problem or a question there are probably several other people with the same issue or dilemma, so I am sharing the products that I am currently using (and loving) that are working really well for my finicky skin.  And as a disclaimer, if you know me in real life you might say I don’t have an acne “problem” (I hear this a lot) and most days I don’t, but I assure you I do have breakouts! Sometimes they are pretty bad-admittedly not cystic acne bad, but bad enough that they make me feel so frustrated that they have sent me to see my dermatologist time and time again over the last 30 years. So I’ve worked really hard at trying to minimize those breakouts. Early this year I did what could be considered a skin cleanse (kind of like a juice cleanse for your face) with the StriVectin Skin Reset 4 week program. That really made a huge difference for me. The products below have helped maintain those results and the great thing about this post is that everything I am listing will work for you, even if you aren’t acne prone and you just want to up your anti-aging skincare game too.

Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm-if I could only own one skincare product this would be it. My only wish is that I had discovered it earlier. I am not exaggerating when I say that this has completely changed my skincare game. The balm is made of loofah seed and Moringa Oil. When you warm it in your hands (you are instructed to do so) it becomes slightly liquified. The process of spreading this soothing balm onto your skin is really like therapy. It feels so good going on and has none of the smelly, icky, sticky feel that many washes have. It removes makeup and clears congested pores. My second favorite thing is the Muslin cloth that comes with it. I love having these cloths to remove my make-up and cleanse my skin. I feel like my skin is a whole new level of clean after using this combo but it doesn’t give that super squeaky striped dry feeling that many cleaners give you. It’s just your skin but even better. Your face is left feeling soft and looking radiant. Now luckily I don’t have to pick just one because this next skincare magic maker deserves a trophy too!

StriVectin Advanced Glow Toner-I really like StriVectin products. As I mentioned early I did a reset with them a few months back and may be ready to try another one. It really helped my skin turn a corner. This toner (like all of their products that I have tried) does exactly what they say it will do. The three in one formula smooths, hydrates and brightens and the bottle lasts forever! Like all StriVectin products it has a refreshing light scent.

Differin Gel-I have written about this product many times and I will probably never not list it. Not only is it great for fighting acne, or helping to clear up an occasional breakout but it is a retinoid as well which means its helping to fight signs of aging too. When I first started using this it was by prescription only but it is now available over the counter at your local drug store. This is a product that I will use until the end of time. There are fancier topical retinoids out there but I swear by this one. I recently saw O, The Oprah Magazine’s Beauty Director Brian Underwood  share the products he actually uses in an Instagram post. I commented that I used Differen Gel too and was so happy to see that it was Brian approved. He commented back that he gets to try all kinds of products (I have seen the O Mag makeup closet by the way so I know he’s tried it all) and that he can’t find anything else that works as well. Ditto Brian, ditto!

Jade Roller-As usual I am a little late to the party on this one. I was intrigued by the idea of the jade rollers but not really sure I understood the hype. I picked mine up from Target, it is Sonia Kashnuk. I have to say that I love using it. I keep mine in the freezer and use it to manage and de-puff my face in the morning. I so want to sleep pretty and preserved on my back but somehow I never stay there. Sleeping on your stomach or side can lead to puffiness which I am noticing more as I get older. A nice cold Jade massage in the morning and and before bed boosts circulation, reduces swelling and helps your skincare product sink in.  And it just plain feels good! You deserve 5 min of a cool jade rub. Do yourself a favor and invest in one. Some can be pretty pricey but this one was $15 and still does the trick. If you love it and use it regularly like I do you can upgrade later.

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UltaMD Clear SPF 46 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen-I love that this sunscreen is tinted, though I wish it came in multiple shades of tint so that I could wear it sans foundation. It’s not quite dark enough for someone with brown skin but it doesn’t leave a white cast on your skin like many sunscreens.  I use the Clear version which is for acne prone skin (it comes in regular too). I first got introduced to this at my dermatologist’s office a few years ago while getting a facial from a fabulous aesthetician-by the way there are two different titles for skincare professionals estheticians typically work in spas and aestheticians typically work in medical facilities with dermatologists or plastic surgeons.  Anyhow, he shared that he religiously used this product himself and I have been using it for over 3 years now. You can even order it on Amazon.

StriVectin Anti-wrinkle Line Blurfector-I love using a primer because I like having a barrier between my skin and foundation. I also love that this one blurs lines, creases, and my pores, so that my makeup doesn’t settle there. It also helps my makeup stay put on my face. It doesn’t seep into my skin or end up all over my hands.

Speaking of ending up on my hands I love using a tear drop shaped makeup sponge to apply my foundation. It gives my skin a dewy less cakey look and allows me to use less product. I also like that it’s easier to clean and dry (which leads to fewer breakouts) than a foundation brush. I use this one from Sonia Kashuk but many people love the original Beauty Blender. I think this one is just as good and you can pick it up during your Target run.

I also swear by two nighttime serums by Drunk Elephant-their T.L.C Framboos Resurfacing Night Serum and their B-hydra Intensive Hydration Serum. I’ve never met a Drunk Elephant product I didn’t love, but these are my go-to products from the line. The nighttime serum makes my skin baby soft by refining and rejuvenating my skin and the moisturizer adds just the right amount of moisture for my oily skin. I have a hard time with moisturizers because some just make my oily skin look and feel oilier. This one actually helps reduce the oil without making my skin super shiny and helps to give your skin a brighter more youthful glow. 

Those are the products that I use to help fight aging and breakouts. I’d love to hear about what you swear by too.

For your convenience I’ve linked the products here.

Until Next Post,

xo Tonya Parker