My Skin Care Routine

Head’s up y'all, the Beautycounter Friends and Family sale is here. 15% off now until June 23. I started using Beautycounter years ago when I was nursing my son and wanted products that were effective, yet safe for breastfeeding. I kept using it even after nursing ended, adding a few items here and there. Then when I was pregnant with my daughter, my skin flared up and became super sensitive. I stopped using all non-safe beauty products and my skin issues cleared up! I’ll go into detail some other time about the horrendous crap they put in many skincare and makeup products. It is appalling. But that’s for another day. I started using Beautycounter because I needed something clean and safe, but I kept using it because it worked.

Now that I’ve been a consultant, I have found a new passion in helping people use the products I swear by. I have always been a product-junkie and learning about the science and research that goes into each product fascinates me! Overtime, I have developed a morning and evening skincare routine that is so effective at keeping my skin clear, hydrated, oil-free, and youthful. I still use some non-Beautycounter products here and there, but for the most part, this is it!

I wanted to create this post for several months now as a resource to send to my clients and friends interested in my Beautycounter favorites. But now that the Friends and Family sale is here, I thought it made sense to share with all of you! So here is my simple five step process for morning and night. I’ve put an ** next to the must-have items. I know these products aren’t your normal drug-store prices; they are an investment and many last a long time. Hopefully the ** products can help you start small and build your collection over time - that’s what I did!

Ok, before we get into it, a bit about my skin so you know if you have similar problems/needs. I have combination skin that is prone to hormonal breakouts. My forehead and nose get oily, but around my nose and eyes I get dry. My goals in skin care are to reduce fine lines, improve tone and texture, and hydrate while balancing my oil. Basically, I want clear skin that doesn’t look old. Ha! Don’t we all?!

Morning

STEP 1: Counterman Daily Exfoliating Cleanser: OK yes, this is targeted for men, but I love it! I love the grit of the exfoliating beads and the smell is so good and clean! I like to start my mornings exfoliating for a super smooth canvas for the day. Secret tip: I barely wet my face before using this. Using it when it’s a little dryer helps slough off the skin, in my opinion. Rinses clean and doesn’t strip skin or leave it feeling tight.

STEP 2: Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence: One of my most frequently asked questions is, “what is essence?” Think of essence as a toner with vitamins. It nourishes skin and reduces fine lines with “Retinatural” (a plant-based complex that performs like retinol) and preps skin for makeup by hydrating and giving you a glow. This is one of those products that I thought “meh, I don’t need this”, but then tried it and I was hooked. I think of it as my “wrinkle drink” for my skin, getting all of that good Retinatural complex into my cells. Apply it by shaking a few drops into palms of your hands and pressing it into your face.

STEP 3: **Counter+ All Bright C Serum: I’ve gone on and on about this one on stories before. It’s fairly new (came out in April I’m remembering correctly), and I already know it’s something I’ll use for the rest of time. It has 10% vitamin C (which is A LOT), as well as turmeric to help brighten skin, reduce dark spots, and give you a glow. I truly notice a difference on days I don’t use this; my complexion just looks dull without it. You only need a few drops in the morning. You can also use at night, but I try to make mine last so only use in the a.m.

STEP 4: **Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream: It has been a long, strenuous battle for me to find a day cream that a.) didn’t break me out and b.) didn’t make me too oily. I found it! This is the product that hooked me on the Countertime line. It has that same Retinatural complex that helps plump and firm skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. It feels so velvety soft and melts into the skin. It hydrates without feeling slick. A wonderful last step before spf/makeup for a smooth canvas. I use two pumps on the tips of my fingers and massage into skin.

STEP 5: **Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream: The eye area is the one part of my face I feel like I need to devote some more time to as I get older. I can get dry under my eyes and if I don’t use a good eye cream my concealer just sinks into my wrinkles. But I want my eye cream to more than just hydrate - I’ll take any extra de-puffing and reducing of shadows I can get. This does just that - hydrates, reduces wrinkles, and makes my eyes look brighter and softer. It feels so good on!

I know that seems like a lot, but really it takes me less that five minutes to do! I feel my best self when I do this in the morning - clean and fresh, plumped and brightened, toned and hydrated.

Evening

STEP 1: **Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil: If there is one take away I want you to get from this it is: DOUBLE. CLEANSE. YOUR. FACE! (sorry for shouting but I feel very strongly about this). What is double cleansing? Double cleansing is a when you use an oil-based cleanser ON DRY SKIN first, and then follow it up with a regular “wet” cleanser. This took me awhile to understand because I am oily. Put oil - on my skin - to wash it? But yes. Think about it, oil and water don’t mix. And things “stick” to oil. So if you rub an oil on your dry make-up face, all the makeup will stick to it and then rinse off with the oil. If I wear makeup, my skin does not feel clean until I double cleanse. Let’s talk a bit about this specific cleansing oil, it doesn’t leave any residue behind and it feels luxurious but still light weight and it gets all my foundation and eye make up off my face.

STEP 2: Countermatch Refresh Foaming Cleanser: This is another fairly new product that I’m really liking. I’ve always been partial to a foaming cleanser and this one feels great on my skin. Using it after the cleansing oil really leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean but not that “tight” overly dry feeling. I use this cleanser in the morning sometimes too if I feel like I don’t need to exfoliate with a scrub. (Note: usually, double cleansing takes all my makeup off, but on the off chance I was wearing heavy-duty eye liner, I’ll give my eyes a swipe of this safe eye makeup remover)

STEP 3 (option A): **Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Peel: Just as you read in the morning how I start my days with a physical exfoliant (the scrub), I like to end some of my evenings with a chemical exfoliant in the form of this peel. The idea of a “peel” can be scary, but think of this as a nighttime treatment that will help your cells turnover leaving you with better texture and tone to your skin. Its a chemical peel in that it uses gentle, natural acids (gycolic, lactic, and malic). It has both alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that remove the top surface layer of dead skin, as well as beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) that penetrate the skin and remove extra gunk and oil. This peel is a powerhouse and an excellent first product if you’re looking to try Beautycounter. Apply a few pumps to your fingertips and gently massage into face, avoiding the eye area. Do not rinse; it’l do its work while you sleep. Use a few nights a week, starting gradually and then up to every-other-night. (I use about every two nights). You can follow up with a night cream, but I find I don’t normally need one. If you do though, make sure the peel is dry before adding a moisturizer.

STEP 4 (option B): **Countertime Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream: Y’all, if I could bathe in this I would. This cream feels so heavenly. It reminds me a lot of another popular “magic cream”, but it wont break you out from harmful ingredients. Its like satin on your skin. It’s super hydrating but not greasy. I’ve had some night creams that make my face feel like an oil slick - this is not that. “Tetrapeptide” is a fancy way of saying elasticity. This cream doesn’t just nourish and moisturize skin but it helps the actual cells stay more elastic, helping keep you looking young. I wake up with fresh, smooth skin with this. I swear by it. I use this on the nights I don’t use the peel. You can layer it over the peel or other serums, just allow them to dry before applying the supreme cream.

STEP 5: **Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream: See explanation from the morning section for more about this. Some evenings I’ll just rub the supreme cream up under my eyes and call it good. But if I’m looking particularly haggard, I’ll make some time to add this final step to my evening in an attempt to look less haggard when I wake.

Extras

There are some other tried and true products that I use so often in my skincare routine, that I felt they needed their own moment, even though the aren’t a part of my daily routine. They are…

Counter+ Brightening Facial Mist: I never really understood facial mists. I thought they were “extra” as the kids say. But then I realized if you mist your face before makeup, it helps things stick. I use this mist to prep my skin before makeup, refresh my makeup after a long day, and even to spray on my beauty blender sponge before dabbing in my concealer. Great to take on a dry airplane…if we ever get to do that again frequently.

Countersun Daily Sun Defense for Face: Ok so this is new and I haven’t even received mine yet, but including it here because the reviews are amazing. It’s formulated just for the face with spf 25 and protects from UVA, UVB, and HEV blue light rays without….(and this is important)….making you look white and chalky! Blends in beautifully. A great last step to your morning skincare routine.

**Counter+ Charcoal Facial Mask: This was my gateway drug into Beautycounter. I LOVE a mask, but when I think back to when I first started my masking journey and the cheap, chemical-ridden crap I used to let sit on my face is terrifying. Y’all get a mask, and get a mask that wont hurt your insides. This one has charcoal which helps draw out the sebum and stuff that clogs your pores. It’s quite remarkable when you use it because all the oilier areas of your face show up darker when the mask dries. Yikes. I use this once a week to keep the balance in my skin even. I put it on before I shower and then really scrub it off while in the shower. Works great as a spot treatment to a fresh pimple that has come to the surface.

Counter+ No. 3 Balancing Facial Oil: Beautycounter offers three different facial oils - brightening, pluming, and balancing. I love the balancing one because it evens out my combination skin, reduces any redness, and hydrates. Again, I know if you’re oily the thought of putting literal oil on your face is weird. But this one soaks in really well. I use it at night if I need an extra boost. Sometimes I’ll use it alone as a final step, other times I’ll let it dry completely and then use a tiny bit of supreme cream. If your skin gets super dry and your foundation cracks during the day, try putting on an oil before or instead of your day-cream.

Whew! I know that was a lot. But I wanted to be through so I can use this post as a reference going forward for what I use, what order I use them, and what are the must haves (marked with **). Please let me know if you have any questions, I am always happy to walk you through anything! You can shop my personal Beautycounter site here. Reminder: the Friends and Family sale for 15% off ends Tuesday, June 23!

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