Makeup and Skin Care for Mature Skin

I am 52 years old, post menopausal and have combo/oily skin in the summer and closer to combo/dry in the winter. In the fall I can start transitioning out of mattifying products and into more hydrating products. I recently made adjustments to my morning routine because I use tretinoin,  generic for Retin-A, and my face was flaking in the mornings. I have been using basically the same routine now for over a month. You can read about my adjustments here.

Although I may use different products my morning routine includes washing my face in the shower and using a scrub of some kind a couple of times per week. I use a toner and a serum while my face is still damp from the shower. After they have time to absorb I mist my face with rose water and apply moisturizer and eye cream over it. The final step is sunscreen.

I wash my face in the shower and am currently using Cerave Hydrating Cleanser Bar. I don’t normally like bar soaps because they get so messy but I had received this in either a Target Beauty Box or a Walmart Beauty Box and thought it would be good for my flaky face.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar gently removes dirt, oil and makeup without disrupting skin’s natural protective barrier. Unlike any other cleansing bar, it also contains CeraVe Moisturizing Cream to hydrate and nourish so skin is left soft. In a clinical study, CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar was shown to lock in moisture 3 times longer than the leading brand. Non-comedogenic, non-drying and non-irritating. With ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Fragrance free.

You can buy this bar for less than $5 at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc. It makes a nice lather and has no scent. It rinses cleanly and does not leave my face feeling dry or tight. It is doing exactly what I wanted from my morning cleanser. I have purchased a bottle of Cerave Hydrating Cleanser that I will try when I finish this bar. It will be much colder and dryer here by then and I think I will need the extra hydration.

I  use a Konjac Sponge and the Cerave to wash my face. I love the Konjac sponge so much that it was one of my 5 Faves in July. Every 3rd morning I use a mild exfoliating scrub. I am using Freeman Feeling Beautiful Key Lime Scrub.

Scrub away dull skin in a snap! Our skin-smoothing facial scrub contains exfoliating Pumice to gently buff away old skin to reveal newer, fresher smoother cells on the surface. Refreshing Key Lime helps tone and re-energize while stimulating the senses. Perfect for all skin types.

This is not a harsh scrub and it provides gentle exfoliation. I was hoping that the lime smell would be more obvious and instead you can barely smell it at all. You can get this for $5 a tube at drugstores.  It is a good scrub but I have several others to try when I finish this tube.

Once I get out of the shower I use Dickinson’s Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner.  Dickinson’s Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner gently hydrates and nourishes skin with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E as it cleanses, tones and refreshes skin. Our alcohol-free formula helps skin maintain its natural balance as it gently removes impurities and reconditions skin. Skin feels hydrated, fresh and clean without tightness for soft, smooth and healthy looking skin. See my  Dickinson’s Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner Review.

This has been a good addition to my skincare routine. It helps balance my skin after cleansing and get it ready for the next steps. This, in turn, lays the foundation for my makeup to apply smoothly and look good.

While my skin is still damp from my toner I apply a Vitamin C serum. Vitamin C has several anti-aging benefits. It can brighten and firm your skin. The main reason I use it is that it may help reduce and prevent photoaging. I have areas of hyperpigmentation and it may help lighten those areas. It can also make your sunscreen more effective. I think Vitamin C has a spot in all skincare routines and I have been using it daily for over a year now.

I am using Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate right now because I received a sample size in some subscription box and decided to try it after I finished my regular Vitamin C serum.  I have been using Timeless 20% C+E+Ferulic Acid Serum since the spring. It contains Vitamin C, an antioxidant that evens skin tone and helps build collagen. Also contains vitamin E and Ferulic Acid, used to extend the life and effectiveness of vitamin C. We use a 20% concentration of L-ascorbic acid for maximum benefit. I like this serum and will reorder when I am closer to finishing the Kiehl’s. The Timeless serum is an oil while the Kiehl’s is a cream. I prefer my serum to be an oil because I think it absorbs better and more quickly. I brush my teeth while I give the serum time to fully absorb and work it’s magic.

After I brush my teeth I spritz my face with Olivia Care Organic Rose Water Face and Body Mist – Organic Rose Water is made from the intensely perfumed and many-petaled damask rose. Carefully selecting the best roses cultivated at high altitude plantations in the Himalayas, our rose water is sensitively produced from start to finish. Full of antioxidants and vitamins, rose water will instantly give dull skin a pick me up, and brighten up your mood! It can bring benefits to all skin types, it can help soothe and cool sensitive and irritated skin, balance and cleanse oily skin, help prevent aging by softening and toning mature skin, revitalize and add beautiful glow to the normal skin.Rose water also has natural antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties. It’s multipurpose use makes this a definite addition to any beauty routine! Suggested Uses: Refrigerate and mist throughout the day to freshen up skin and makeup. Use as toner or makeup remover by applying directly on skin or cotton pad. Pour a couple capfuls to running bath for a relaxing skin nourishing experience.  I purchased this at my local T. J. Maxx and have loved it so much that it was one of my 5 Faves October 2016. I use this to  not only tone my face but to also moisten my face before moisturizer. It is more effective when applied to damp skin.

I have only been using it for a month or so but it now has a place in my routine. I love the smell of roses and it has many benefits for the skin. It is good for shrinking pores and giving the skin a toned appearance. It reduces redness and absorbs and controls oil. And did I mention it smells like roses?? I spray a light mist of this on my face before applying my moisturizer. Moisturizer works much better when applied to damp skin rather than dry skin. It locks in the moisture on your face keeping it better hydrated and in the fall and winter hydration is the name of the game.

I immediately apply my moisturizer. My Holy Grail is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. It is a lighter moisturizer that goes on with a cooling feel and instantly absorbed into the skin. It’s oil-free and that is what made me try it. It has been my perfect moisturizer forever but now that my skin is getting dryer this may not be enough for the winter.

At the moment I am using Naobay Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer. Unique composition rich in organic nutrients, with intensive hydrating action that deeply nourishes the skin, while improving elasticity and providing intense moisture throughout the day. Extra rich cream is brimming with essential fatty acids found in oils from organic farming such as Avocado and Olive oils, which also give the cream anti-aging benefits. Specially designed for dry and dehydrated skin that needs extra attention. I received this in a Birchbox a while back. It had been sitting in my bathroom for a while now and I decided to use it up. It has been a great little moisturizer. It is not heavy at all and absorbs like magic on my skin. It does not look or feel greasy or heavy.

I am not brand loyal to eye cream at all. I just started a sample sized tube of Cerave Eye Repair Cream. It is supposed to be good for dark circles and dry eyes. I have had issues with my eyes looking super dry and I am hoping this helps.

I finish with my  Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 Tinted. This a key step in any skincare routine. This is a light sunscreen that dries down to a matte finish. It works better under my makeup than anything else I have tried.

This is my current morning routine and it is working well for my dryer skin. It may need adjustments as the weather gets drier and colder. I will be trying different products as I get samples in my subscription boxes.

What do you use for your morning skincare? Have you made adjustments now that the weather is so cold?

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