You've got LA on your face.

You’ve got LA on your face

I have to give my mother a shout-out for my obsessive tendencies and love of skin care; without her I'd be...a secretary.  That being said, she also passed on the unyielding rule that you wash your face EVERY night.  When I was a kid I hated how long it took her to get ready for bed and now I realize she was just washing the day off of her face.  Now that I'm an esthetician in Los Angeles I see clients every day who have congested, dry, dehydrated, broken-out skin and they don't know why.  There are two ways to wash your face: your AM routine which as not as invasive but still important - your skin runs a marathon while you sleep - it cleanses, sheds, turns over, sweats and repairs and that by-product needs to be washed away.  And then there's the PM routine. Like I said, the AM is important but listen to what we're doing in the PM.  There is now makeup, dirt, sweat, germs, spit, food, car exhaust and air pollution stuck to your face.  Not only do you need to wash that off, you need to make sure you remove ALL of it.  This is what causes clogged pores, aging skin and a "dullness" and a lot of my clients don't really care for that.

So here’s the deal, wash your face in the morning with a creamy cleanser like Cetaphil or Esthederm Cleansing Milk. 

Either one of these products will gently but effectively cleanse all of the sleepy-time gunk off of your face.  Apply your eye cream, antioxidant serum and sunscreen followed by a great foundation as well as the rest of your makeup and you’re ready for the day. 

When you’re ready for bed, wash your face with a foaming cleanser – you want something that will get in there a bit more and wash the city off your face.  I like the Pomega5 Moisturizing Bar, it cleanses and has a great foam but it’s not drying at all.  I also like Aveeno Ultra-Calming Cleanser.

Wet your hands, wet your face and work the cleanser into a lather, all over the face and neck.  Next, wet a wash cloth and gently rinse your face, making sure to include the edges as well as your neck.  If you’re still feeling build up, use a toner to get the last bits of makeup and dirt.  I like RareMinerals Moisture Burst facial mist, Mario Badescu (this could get rid of past lives!) or Neutrogena Clear Pore toner.  Most of them are great as long as it fits your skin type. 

Apply the toner to a cotton ball and give your face a sweep to get the remainders of the day.  Before the toner dries, apply your peeling serums or hydrating serums like Dr. Dennis Gross  Alpha Beta daily face peel or SKII Facial Treatment Repair C.  Follow this up with your night moisturizer and an eye cream.  You look younger already.