The Skin Care Rules I Swear By

Geri Hirsch Skin Care
I didn’t have great skin growing up. In fact, I went through some pretty brutal acne phases that were not fun. Not fun at all.

Cut to years later, my skin has cleared up (thank gd!) and I’m religious about my skin care. I’ve found that it’s a delicate balance of diligiently following my skin care commandments, adjusting as I go, using quality products and working on my glow from the inside out.

Here are the skin care rules I swear by:

1. Wash my face every single night. No ifs, ands, or buts.

2. SPF every single day. I’m currently using Kate SomervilleDaily Deflector™ Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 50.

3. I try to keep my hands off my face as much as possible and never ever pick.

4. I make sure to eat for my skin by including lots of hydrating greens, good fats, antioxidants, low sodium and I don’t eat anything processed.

5. Drink tons of water. I’m generally not a good water drinker so I use the WaterMinder app. It keeps track of the amount you drink and reminds you to take sips all day long.

6. When washing my face in the shower, I always wash my face last so that I wash away the residue from other products that may potentially cause breakouts.

7. When I shower in the morning, if I haven’t worked out, am not washing my hair (see #6) and haven’t applied anything to my face that morning, I don’t wash my face with soap. I get too dry if I wash too many times and save the additional washes for #11.

8. When applying face wash, cream or makeup, I’m very gentle. Harsh rubbing and pulling on the skin wears on skin elasticity.

9. I exercise regularly. Natural glowing skin comes from a healthy body and exercise is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. With the exception of hot yoga or spinning, my skin always looks best after a great workout because it gets my blood pumping and the endorphins flowing.  The key is following #10.

10. If I have on makeup before I workout I always wash my face AND equally if not more important, I always wash my face after working out. Makeup layered with sweat is a recipe for disaster and so is a clean face covered with perspiration.

11. Quality products when it comes to skin care and makeup matter (a detailed follow up product post to come). They don’t have to be expensive but they need to be good quality, otherwise it’s breakout city.

12. I believe in facials. They make a difference for me so I try to go at least every other month. Monthly would be ideal but it rarely happens with my schedule.

13. I regularly wash my makeup brushes. A tedious job but it makes a difference.

14. When my skin starts to get bad and is consistently getting worse, I usually switch up my products because whatever I’m using is no longer working.

15. If I breakout on my forehead and/or around my hair line, I change out my hair products.

16. Sleep, sleep, sleep and more sleep. Your skin cells regenerate while sleeping so it’s important to get your beauty rest.

17. Stress relief is a priority. Whether it’s working out, painting, meditating or reading, I have to find ways to alleviate stress otherwise the stress shows all over my face.

18. Fun. In my opinion, happy girls are the prettiest girls. Laughing is medicine for the soul and nothing makes your skin look better than a happy face. Cheesy? A little bit but you know it’s true!

What skin care tips do you swear by?

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27 comments

  1. These are some great rules, but some are difficult to follow for sure! Diet is probably the hardest for me; I eat plenty of greens and no red meat but I turn into a snack monster in the afternoon and tend to reach for unhealthy things! ;D

    xo, Alice || a l i c e / T Y P E N U

  2. These are so incredibly helpful! I find that using gentler products at night (specifically items that cater to sensitive-skin) really helps my skin relax, especially with the added bonus of a moisturizing facial oil. During the mid-week, a sheet mask really helps keep my skin nice and plump, and a nice deep-cleansing mud mask every Sunday keeps my pores fresh and clean.

  3. Wow, such good tips. Hopefully it works for me. I was a bit surprised with number 14, but I’ll try it and hopefully my acne patch goes away. I was also iffy about facials, but I’ll also give that a try. Wish me luck!

  4. I swear by Sunday Riley Products, especially Luna sleeping night oil, it’s all kinds of amazing. I have also just started taking Imedeen Derma One capsules, to boost moisture levels. I will be giving it the full 12 week trial, I have high hopes though ?

  5. Love your tips. I have been a Shiseido skincare junkie for the past 12 years and I try new products all the time but none compare. I shower at night because I like to be spiffy clean when I hop into the sheets. Instead of washing my face with my nightly cleanser in the morning, I use cleansing oil so that I don’t strip my face of beneficial moisture. I have found that it really keeps my skin dewy and fresh especially for the winter months.

  6. what kind of skin type of you have i find often that if i wash my face too often is has a worse effect than not washing multiple times…just wondering how you keep that from happening…

    Thanks bunches!!

  7. I love your tips! I thought that nothing could surprise me (I read a lot about skincare because I struggle with breakouts) but I have never thought about washing my face before workout! I don’t know why, because now as you explained it it seems very logical. I often exercise in the evening and I know that I’ll be washing afterwards anyway so it never came to my mind to at least remove my makeup before working out. But I’ll try this out and hopefully I get less breakouts in the future 🙂

    And as for my skincare, I make sure to apply face mask at least once a week. I choose one that best suits my current needs and my favourite brand for that is Origins.

    http://stylestandpoint.com

  8. Great tips! Two questions for you:
    – When you wash your first before working out, are you doing your entire washing routine? I’m always fearful of drying out my skin which is why I don’t currently wash my face before working out.
    – I’ve seen you mention a copper water bottle before. Could you provide a link to the bottle you purchased? I’m hesitant to order one online before making sure it’s the real deal.
    Thanks, love your blog!

  9. Great post! I love all those tips, they are right on. The other one I find is helpful is to keep a clean pillowcase. I wash mine every other night to make sure it’s clean. I try not to sleep on my face (side or stomach) but find that sometimes it does happen and I don’t want to get any dirt or hair products on my face at night.

    Also, all my best on you and your husband’s health. I can’t imagine how scary that was and am glad he is on the mend. Hugs to you both.

  10. Love all of these tips and can’t wait for the post on your product recommendations! I had a facial at a plastic surgeons office and they used a clarisonic. I got one and started using and think it’s really helped keep my face clear and clean. I too had started washing my dash before and after working out, so necessary. Thanks for sharing this list of tips! xo

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