Updated Skincare for Fun in the Sun!

I did a post a while back about my general skincare routine, which still serves as the bare bones of what I do now, (http://makeupbyamrita.tumblr.com/post/44197920666/skincare-routine) but with the sun in full force I like to add a few extra steps to help keep tanning and burning at bay.

1. Sunscreen
Oh yes, this is so important. If you have an Indian mother or grandmother like I do, most likely at some point, the extreme importance of sunscreen has been made evident to you. If you don’t diligently keep up with your sunscreen, you will be forced to listen to stories of carrying parasols and wearing long gloves in the blistering heat and how previous generations really suffered for health and beauty as compared to us youngins now. I still know Indian moms who wear long sleeved shirts, socks on their hands, giant hats and giant sunglasses in the summertime just to drive their kids to summer camp. Extreme behavior aside, I like to use the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion in Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ for Face and Body. I mostly use this for my face, neck and hands. The main reason I like this is that it doesn’t break me out. I used to use Neutrogena’s sunscreens for the face but I would still get break outs :( I love using the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Broad Spectrum SPF 100+ for my body. I know that a lot of people say that you don’t need to use anything above SPF 50, but the standards for testing SPF in America are less stringent than those in, for example, Australia, where people really see the sun, so I figure a little extra precaution never hurts. The newest addition to my sunscreen routine is the Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream in Broad Spectrum SPF 34. First of all, weird SPF number, and second of all I’m not totally convinced this is necessary. I do think the skin in the eye area is a lot more delicate, but I’ve personally never experienced a sunburn around my eyes so I’m not sure if this is totally necessary. For now, I’ll just go with it and see if I notice a difference by the end of the summer.

2. Face Scrubs
With the heat, comes sweat, and oily-ness. And with all that, come more breakouts! To help combat this, I’ve been using the St. Ives Apricot Scrub (Blemish Control) alternating with the less abrasive St. Ives Green Tea Scrub (Blemish Control). These make such a difference in keeping my breakouts at a minimum, and make my skin feel super smooth and soft. The blemish control line only contains about 1% salicylic acid, so its nothing too harsh. I still need to use a spot treatment on stubborn acne. I also think that scrubs help diminish the appearance of acne scars, which is great in case you do get the inevitable trouble spot.

3. Face Masks
For the summertime, I love using the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask. This mask is way too drying for me in the winter time, but I like using it in my T-zone to keep the shine at a minimum and to prevent blackheads and blocked pores. I use this maybe once a week, or once every week and a half based on how my skin is feeling. It’s your traditional scary green face mask which dries and tightens up to pull out impurities. I definitely recommend moisturizing afterwards to avoid getting any dry patches.



What are your favorite summer skincare products?

Skincare Routine

I find that an essential part of how my makeup lasts really depends on whether or not I’ve been consistent with my skincare routine. As a person with combination skin (oily T-zone and drier cheeks) I suffer from oil breaking through my makeup when my skin is over producing oil. I try to keep my skincare routine on the simpler side because at night time I’m usually tired and a long process would just lead to me skipping it altogether.

Anyways, on to the routine!

1. Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towlettes or Bioderma

Depending on how lazy I’m feeling, I’ll use one of these two to remove my face makeup. I find that the Neutrogena wipes are fairly saturated and readily available. They don’t do as good a job as Bioderma at removing makeup but it’s fine when you are in a hurry. I usually use Bioderma with cotton squares, 1 for each half of my face. 

2. Clarisonic with Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser

The Clarisonic really changed my skin, and I definitely swear by it. I’ve never suffered from large pores, but my skin needs to be exfoliated on a regular basis or I can get dry patches on my cheeks. I also love how clean my face feels after using it, and it keeps my hormonal break outs at a minimum. Plus, it comes in so many cute colors! I personally have the pastel yellow version and like using the sensitive brush heads since they are the least rough. The Clinique cleanser is one of the few cleansers I’ve found that doesn’t excessively dry out my skin or break me out. For some reason, I’m really sensitive to cleansers (for example the Philosophy cleanser wreaks complete havoc on my skin).

3. Burt’s Bees Garden Tomato Toner

I usually pour a little of this onto a cotton pad and apply to my face. It’s a little bit zingy (not quite a sting but a tingle) and removes any traces of shine or oil on my face. This toner is okay, but I’m definitely open to trying some other things. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure whether or not toner does anything at all.

4. Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream

I suffer from really dry under-eyes. As a result if my under-eye area isn’t hydrated my concealer creases like mad, even after being set with a powder. I love that this eye cream is rich enough to hydrate, but not so rich that it creates milia (the small bumps around the eyes from congested pores).

5. Benefit Cosmetics Total Moisture Facial Cream

I love this facial cream! I discovered it through a sample, and it’s become my go-to night time face cream. It’s thick and rich, and I usually put two dime size dots onto my cheeks and use most of it there, then get my nose/forehead/chin with whatever is left over on my hands. 

After all that, its time to tuck myself into bed and get some quality dreaming after my long day. Zzzzzz….