My 5 favorite products for flawless skin

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At the turn of the year, Brent and I made some pretty big commitments to the betterment of our health and fitness.  This journey has truly been so beautiful and even more fulfilling to experience with the person that I love the most.  

In addition, I also made a huge commitment to myself that I honestly wasn’t sure if I could stick to…....

.......it was to stop sleeping with my make-up on *gasp* and to grasp some sort of motherhood life-post-partum friendly skin routine.

For the past few years, there were definitely times where it was about survival, sleep was more important than washing my make-up off and at the time I was completely ok with that.  As we enter this new season though, I’m really trying to also focus on self-care, as I’m focusing on raising our girls.  It’s as beautiful as it is bittersweet, and I can already see the fruits of this labor not only in myself and my skin, but in our little girls that watch me very intently.  I can proudly say that I have stuck to my quick and easy skin routine for over 6 months now, and I’m actually addicted and I don’t think I will ever stop!

Here's my routine.  Every night, no matter how tired I am or how long it took to get our babies to sleep, I make it a priority to stay awake until I wash my face.  I start off by using Cetaphil Antibacterial soap to gently wash off the superficial layer of makeup.  Then come the most life-changing products that I have used that have literally saved my face from 3 years of neglect.

1.  Clarisonic Mia Fit face brush-  Ok, if you don’t care about anything else that I talk about today, go buy this.  Right now.  Run.  You can find it here.  I’m addicted to brushing my face y’all.  I actually look forward to the sensation on my skin every morning and every evening.  This little brush thing has made all the difference in me actually feeling so excited about getting my makeup off! One of my girlfriends who has the most beautiful skin that I have ever seen (hey girl hey Katherine) let me in on her Clarisonic secret and I am ever so thankful!  It does a billion good things but the main ones that I love are that it leaves my skin feeling so clean and refreshed.  This particular one that I have has 2 speeds and it gives you a little cue on when to move on to the next area of your face.  It also gets rid of dead skin which actually ends up getting rid of fine lines!  So basically, it has made my skin look younger, smoother, and it helps other products penetrate into the skin more effectively.  It's basically a mini-facial every time you wash your face.  My Clarisonic has probably been one of the best investments that I have made this year and there is no looking back for me. 

2.  Aveeno Cleanser-  I put this directly on my Clarisonic brush, wet it a bit, and then cleanse my skin.  I used to use a Clarisonic cleanser that came with the gift set that I purchased and I liked a lot. But then my husband brought this home one night to use for washing his face and I randomly used it because I was out of my other stuff and literally fell in love!  Not to mention it's like $30 cheaper!  We get ours from the grocery store but I'll link it up here for your convenience.  I truly feel like it has evened out my skin tone and gives my skin almost like a glowing effect.  I'm obsessed with it and it's definitely a must have.

3. Jason Moisturizer-  I can honestly say that this is the first time that I have ever been so excited about talking about face products.  I kind of want to scream from excitement about this cream (or as I like to say it fancy in my head as *creme* haha)  I actually came across this completely by accident.  I got it from the organic section in our grocery store and I’m literally addicted.  I used to use just the plain Vitamin E oil at night and it would be so thick and didn’t absorb into my skin well and leave me feeling gunky.  But this stuff, oh my gosh it's like heaven on my skin.  I only use it at night because it is greasy but it's so worth waking up with baby smooth skin every morning.  It has Vitamin E oil which helps reduce fine lines and it’s like this whipped creamy texture that just feels so delicious.  I’ve already gone through almost 2 tubs because I gunk it on my face thick because I love the way it feels so much haha.  I massage it on my neck too for good measure, and sometimes use it on my hands because I can't get enough.  I will probably never use any other nighttime moisturizing cream again.  Here it is on Amazon, go ahead and prime it to your house and let me know if you get as addicted to it as I am.

4.  Elta MD Sunscreen-  I have come a long way from the girl who slathered tanning oil all over her face and laid out in the sun to get as dark as I possibly can.  Now I’m the crazy wife/mom who reminds my husband daily to reapply sunscreen at the turn (golf lingo for those who don’t know hah) and who wouldn’t dare be out in the sun without at least SPF 40 and a hat and sunglasses and maybe possibly a ninja suit.  Thanks to my sister in love who introduced me to this product, I LOVE it!  It’s the best out there, and the best part is that it’s safe to use on super exfoliated skin if you're using the Clarisonic.  So actually, the zinc oxide gets absorbed better and is therefore more effective at protecting your gorgeous skin from the harmful sun rays.  I love the tinted one because on no make-up days, it gives me a teeny bit of coverage to where I feel a little made up even when I'm working out.  If I am wearing make-up that day, I mix it into my foundation to make it go a lot further.  I love that it is absolutely not even the least bit greasy, it's so versatile and incredibly effective as not only a moisturizer, but a sunscreen.  I'm pretty sure it's recommended by dermatologists everywhere and I found it here on Overstock for a lot cheaper.  They also have a clear non-tinted one here if that's what you prefer.

5.  Neutrogena Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer-  This is the last, but certainly not least.  I've been using this moisturizer for probably about 6 years now.  That's probably the only thing that I've been consistent and good about is putting on moisturizer in the morning before my makeup to keep my skin hydrated.  I adore this moisturizer because it's not greasy and goes under my make-up perfectly.  I put it on then brush my teeth for a minute while it dries and then immediately start my make-up routine and it has done my skin so much good.  It has a bit of sunscreen in it which is always always good in case I forget to use my actual Elta MD sunscreen and it works on wrinkles which I'm always down for.  I realized that it's a lot cheaper here on Amazon than it is at Kroger or Target so I have been priming it to myself when I'm getting low.  A tube usually lasts me about 5 months so it's a very small investment for how great it works and how long it lasts. 

And that's it!  I pack these 5 products with me everywhere we go and I can truly attest to the fact that they have healed my skin from the years of neglect.  I feel so confident leaving the house bare faced and feel like I have gained a whole new sense of self love.  I really think that a big reason that I have succeeded in continuing with my skin regimen is because of its simplicity and efficiency.  From start to finish, it takes me a total of 4 minutes and then I can cozy up and go to bed comfortably knowing that my skin is getting the love that it needs.  I really believe that with every new commitment towards self care comes the realistic approach of setting yourself up to succeed.  Figure out what you need and then keep it as simple as you can so that you can start small and then gradually work up to your next goal.  And always always always, give yourself time and grace.  The journey can be just as beautiful as crossing the finish line.

XO,

Madina

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