Another birthday is coming up quickly for me on Monday, March 11th ~ I Will Be 43 🙂
Recently someone asked me how I feel about my birthday, in general.
The truth is, I love my birthday! I consider my birthday to be my personal New Year.
A time to reflect on all that my life is and how it's all going.
The time of year when momentum always seems to kick in for me as winter winds down and the light of springtime really starts to shine through the tunnel of winter's end.
This year, as I reflect on my life…
I’m humbled by how fragile health can be, having been under the weather more days than usual this year, and how even minor health setbacks can create a lot of added stress.
I do love winter… but this one has felt especially long and heavy, with the cold days keeping us inside more than I’d like.
I’m excited about my plans for the business, which include an expansion of both space and new service & product offerings.
I'm excited and nervous about my son turning 4 this summer and entering preschool in the fall. His growth is happening so fast, it shines a light on how imperative it is for me to stay healthy, energetic & youthful.
I'm grateful for health, happiness, home, contentment, work, family & friends. I'm anticipating good things to come.
In my work, I do a lot of recommending products for home care, and I do my best to customize my recommendations to the needs of my clients, stay mindful of their beauty budget and keeping it simple enough to be sustainable.
In my personal routines, I use many products & tools to keep my complexion in it's best possible condition.
Here I'll share What, When & Why I do the things I do for my skin:
Home Skincare regimen should include:
Cleanser to remove the day from your face
Exfoliant to remove buildup and keep skin smooth
Serum to treat & correct any concerns – serums go deeper than cremes.
Nighttime Moisturizer to nourish your skin and support the healing activity that takes place during sleep
Morning moisturizer with Spf to hydrate and protect skin from the elements
Optional:
Eye creme for specific support of the delicate skin around the eyes
Beauty Oil for additional hydration & nourishment
Hyaluronic Acid for additional sealing in of hydrating ingredients
Additional Serums
Specialty Masques
Winter Skin needs Exfoliation! There are physical & chemical exfoliants.
Physical exfoliants include treatments like microdermabrasion, and products with a gritty texture known as scrubs.
Chemical exfoliation includes ingredients that dissolve & remove the top layer of dead skin cells. Enzymes, Acids & Retinoids fall into this category.
Skin is constantly renewing & shedding, which creates a layer of mostly dead skin on the surface of the skin.
In the cold winter months, when there is no moisture in the air and the cold & wind are zapping our skin of all it’s moisture every time we step outside, and the dry air inside is zapped by indoor heating systems, many of us tend to see an overabundance of this top layer of dead skin, resulting in flakes, dull-looking skin and an uneven texture.
Applying more and more thick heavy moisturizers will not work to solve the issue of persistent dry, flaky skin.
That top layer needs to be exfoliated regularly & gently to prevent the buildup of those dead, dull skin cells.
Then, the fresh skin can be hydrated, nourished and healthy.
The key difference between Professional Skincare lines (sold by Estheticians & Physicians) and Over the Counter product lines (sold by department stores, drugstores, your friends who joined the new & trendy MLM company) is that the professional lines contain
higher levels of active ingredients and the lower pH levels of the products.
In order to make a true difference in the skin at a cellular level, which is necessary for lasting change, products need to have enough of the active ingredients and low enough pH levels to penetrate the tissue past the top layer of buildup.
Professional skincare is formulated with the essential ingredient categories, which are:
Antioxidants
Anti-inflammatories
Exfoliants
Plant Stem Cells (
Peptides (chains of amino acids that nourish the skin and promote healing as needed)
Vitamins (like C, K, A)
Minerals (like Colloidal Silver & Gold; Charcoal)
My personal regimen & current favorites:
When I am in need of something more hydrating and gentle, I use Lira Clinical Mystiq Illuminating cleanser ($30): this is a Cream cleanser that breaks down makeup, dirt, oil, impurities on the skin for gentle removal.
When I am a bit more oily and need to strip away the buildup a bit more, I choose Lira Clinical’s Bio Enzyme Cleanser ($30): this is a Gel cleanser with enzymes that help exfoliate by gently dissolving that barrier of makeup, dirt, oil,& impurities.
Most evenings, I like to add a small amount (think pinky nail sized dab) of Lira’s Mystiq illuminating Polishing Masque ($34) to make my cleanser more exfoliating and effective. This Polishing Masque can be used in 2 ways – as a scrub blended with the cleanser, or as a traditional masque that you apply to your skin after cleansing, allow to set for 15-30 minutes so the skin can receive even more benefits from the active ingredients such as Mandelic & Salicylic acids, which helps absorb oil and clear pores and Mastiha, the brightening resin oil extract, Colloidal Silver & Gold and Plant Stem Cells for healing & skin nourishing.
After my skin is clean & exfoliated, It’s time to Hydrate.
Most often, I layer the following products:
- Lira Clinical Pro Lite Treatment Serum ($40) – this gives my skin the Vitamin C, Antioxidants & Anti-inflammatories it needs to reduce redness, prevent uneven pigmentation and hydrate. It’s Oil-free and helps accelerate healing when breakouts occur. Won’t clog pores. Perfect for all skin types.
- Lira Clinical Bio Hydra C Serum ($59) – this is a creamy serum with a consistency of a light lotion. Oil-free, won’t clog pores and perfect for all skin types as well.
- Lira Clinical Mystiq Illuminating Beauty Oil ($60) – for dry skin, a drop of this beauty oil gives a major hydration boost, and gives the skin an amazing glow! True liquid gold & sunshine in the season of ice & snow.
- Lira Clinical Pro Retinol Creme ($90) Another product that wins the title Liquid Gold! This creme is the absolute essential for the Amazing Aging effort. Only used at night, it’s a perfect blend of Retinol, Vitamin C, firming peptides, plant stem cells. It’s the best Retinol product I’ve found in 23 years of skincare practice. Addresses signs of aging like fine lines & wrinkles, uneven tone & texture and minimizes breakouts. If you are struggling with both prematurely aging skin AND breakouts – this is a game-changer for your skincare routine.
- In the morning, I rinse with cool water first thing. Then I reapply a tiny amount of Pro Lite treatment serum and/or a thin layer of the Bio Hydra C Serum, followed by my current favorite morning protection: Ayur-Medic Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30+ ($40) OR if I need a bit more coverage, I use Lira Clinical BB Tint ($65).
**I realize finding the right Tinted SPF for your skin can be a bit tricky. The color, the coverage and texture all have to be just right for you. If you are still looking for the perfect tinted spf, I am happy to color test and sample my favorites for you to try before you buy.
When my skin is truly parched or raw or flaky, I use Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque ($36). This is a thick, creamy masque that works wonders to gently take care of flakes and deeply hydrate the skin. For very dry & sensitive skin, I recommend this masque 2-3 times per week as an overnight treatment to help keep flakes at bay and keep skin smooth & hydrated. This is a must have for sensitive skin that cannot tolerate scrubs & abrasive masks.
Light Therapy
Collagen is the protein that supports our skin. As we approach 40 years of age, our bodies' ability to make it slows down significantly. This is a main contributing factor to the appearance of aging. Without the support of collagen, lines & wrinkles appear more prominently.
Red Light Therapy is an amazing, non-invasive way to boost collagen production in our skin, which in turn will plump up our skin and soften the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
I use my Celluma Light Therapy panel a few times per week in what I like to call Meditation Multitasking!
Taking time to rest body & mind is ESSENTIAL for managing stress (another culprit wreaking havoc on our healthy, wellness & beauty).
In this day & age when we have eliminated boredom as a fact of life, with the introduction of smartphones that allow us to work, connect, catch up on news, read the opinions of others on any given topic, we are at risk for more anxiety and exhaustion by the same thing that intends to give us more freedom of choice.
I read a lot about health & wellness, the science of aging, how meditation can improve our health & our lives, how Yoga keeps us youthful, etc.
As a Yoga & Meditation Instructor, I am a believer in the benefits of these practices, and I still have to make sure I am making time for this, or else my time will be frittered away by reading some random news.
Giving myself 15-30 minutes under my Light Therapy panel does WONDERS for my skin AND my psyche.
I know that during this time, I am boosting collagen production and improving my skin’s health. I LOVE the way my skin looks after light therapy.
Sometimes I spend the time in silence. Sometimes I listen to classical music. Sometimes I listen to a guided meditation or Yoga Nidra (a guided practice done in Savasana). Sometimes I listen to an inspiring podcast or audiobook.
Whatever I choose, I make myself completely comfortable, breathe deeply and slowly and relax, letting my mind float free…I LOVE how relaxed and rejuvenated I feel after light therapy.
If you have any questions about the products mentioned here, or would like to schedule a treatment or Complimentary Consultation to discuss an upgrade to your skincare products at home, feel free to email me at maggie@complexionsoncarter.com, mileymaggie@gmail.com or book an appointment here: https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/COCGMW/services